Insubordination

Here are the questions filed under this category. To read Ken's advice on any item, click on the link "Read Ken's Answer."

There is a new employee in our department who was spending huge amounts of time on personal calls. Our manager finally saw what she was up to and he told her to stop. Now she brings a cell phone and does the same thing, but claims it is her phone and she can make all the personal calls she wants. What do you think of this?
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I have two employees who report to me, and one acts as if she is in charge. She sends me email in a tone that implies that she is calling the shots, she throws papers on my desk and tells me to handle them, and she calls me into her office when she wants to discuss something. How do you deal with an employee like this?
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I have asked an employee to do a certain project the way I want it done, but he simply does it his way, and his way is wrong. When I have spoken to him, he agrees to take the correct steps, and then he does it his way again. How many times do I have to tell him what I want before it's time to take more serious action?
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I have an employee in my department who doesn't follow company procedures. She ends up creating problems for the rest of the staff. I've discussed the situation with her, but nothing changes. What's her problem and what should I do about it?
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In the past few weeks, I have spilled coffee three times in my office. One of the spills ruined a keyboard, and the others simply stained the carpet a little. My boss told me that if I have one more spill, he is going to fire me. I'll do my best not to have another accident, but isn't his reaction a little over the top? How should I deal with him?
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We recently hired an individual with a considerable amount of experience in our field. The only problem is that he keeps using techniques from his previous job, and they are creating some difficulties for the rest of the staff. I have talked to him about this, and he says that he will try to change, but he hasn't. What can you suggest?
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How do you deal with an employee who says that he can do whatever he wants because he's related to the owner of the company? As his supervisor, I have found his attitude and work to be questionable, but I do not want any problems with the owner who is a fairly volatile guy.
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One of the people who report to me puts down my ideas in front of the rest of the group. I will say that he occasionally has some good insights, but his mode of presenting them is pretty insulting. I have talked to him about this, but he persists. Should I start writing him up?
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One of my employees gives me suggestions on how to do my job, but the problem is that he only does this during meetings with my manager. I don't like this, but I don't know how to get it to stop without creating more problems. What do you suggest?
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I am not sure how to handle an employee who challenges my leadership. He makes negative comments about me to the other employees, and yesterday he flat out refused to carry out an assignment that I gave him. He has a lot of abilities and I don't want to terminate him, but I am unsure what to do.
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I just completed a counseling session with one of my employees because he has been late several times, and our policy calls for a formal discussion and documentation when this occurs. When I finished the session, he got to the door and made a nasty remark under his breath. When I asked what he said, he denied saying anything. I did not write him up for that, but maybe I should have. What do you think?
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I was walking down the hall ahead of a few of my employees, and when I turned around, I saw one problem employee mimicking me in a very derogatory way. I made an instant decision to avoid a confrontation with her, so I ignored it. I'm fuming over what happened and unsure if I did the right thing.
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I have an employee who keeps telling me how to manage, and he likes to use management vocabulary, such as by saying that I need to have more employee empowerment. Then he offers "suggestions" about priorities, assignments, and how to do my job. How do I get him to back off?
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I hired a new assistant, and now I feel that she is trying to undermine me and get my boss upset with me. She is very clever and smooth, and she has totally won my boss. I don't want to meet with her and sound paranoid, but I fear that something is going on here. What should I do?
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When I ask one particular employee about a project, she gives me an update, but often holds back important facts. I rely on her comments when I report to my manager, and I end up looking foolish because I am unaware of information that she suddenly possesses. I told her that willfully holding back facts is a form of lying. She said does not lie and is only trying to provide the information I want.
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Whenever my boss comes around to my department, I have one particular employee who typically makes a comment that puts herself in a positive light and makes me look bad, and sometimes she's not quite truthful or does not give the full story. Do I lower myself to say something to her, or should I just let it go?
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I have been through several managers under me, and I finally hired one who was doing excellent work for the past six months. However, on a recent assignment, I told her not to contact certain people because of confidential matters. I checked in with her later, and I was shocked to find she contacted these people. She said I was wrong to exclude them. What should I do?
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I lead a team of twelve Customer Service Representatives, and there is one rep who constantly ignores instruction and has an excuse for every error he makes. He is confrontational, unprofessional, and causes disharmony among the other team members. Many of them have voiced their concern about him, especially his temper. He has strengths, but his weaknesses and attitude far outweigh them. I have told my manager about his performance and inability to mesh with the others, but management seems to want to keep him and develop him. What can I do short of termination?
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I recently moved into supervision, and one of my employees works on a popular math puzzle in the newspaper before work and during her breaks. The problem is that she sometimes brings them to her cubicle and works on them when she should be doing her job. I told her not to do this, but she said she practically never brings them to her desk, but even if she does, they are beneficial for her thinking. How do I get this to stop?
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I recently moved into supervision, and one of my employees works on a popular math puzzle in the newspaper before work and during her breaks. The problem is that she sometimes brings them to her cubicle and works on them when she should be doing her job. I told her not to do this, but she said she practically never brings them to her desk, but even if she does, they are beneficial for her thinking. How do I get this to stop?
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I am new to management in this company, and one of the managers who reports to me has been here for about five years and has a lot of local knowledge. In a recent meeting with several other managers present, I made a point about policy that was incorrect. She then blurted out a correction in a very condescending tone. I told her afterwards that I did not appreciate this behavior, but she did it again yesterday. What's the best way to handle this?
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I have an employee who reports to me, and she can be very condescending and arrogant when I raise questions or issues during meetings with her, especially when people from other departments are present. I have not called her on this during the meetings, and by the time the meeting ends, I figure that it is old news already. How should I deal with this?
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One of my employees is very skilled in her work, but recently she been giving me orders, insulting me in front of others, and taking credit for my accomplishments. I do not want to lose her because she is very skilled, and I am unsure how to deal with her in light of this.
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Whenever I ask a certain employee how he is doing on the work I have given to him, he responds with, “Don’t worry.” It is not as if I am worried. It’s just that I want an update on his work, and I’m not getting one. What is the best way to handle this?
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I walked into one of my employee’s workstations, and she immediately turned over a sheet of paper on her desk. It is clear that she did not want me to see what was on it, and I said nothing about it at the time. However, I keep wondering if I did the right thing, and how to handle this type of situation in the future.
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Our company has a dress code requiring all employees to dress “business casual.” The policy says nothing else. When I wore a top that revealed my midriff, my manager said not to wear it again because it is not business casual. If the policy is for employees to refrain from wearing this type of apparel, it should say so. Please advise.
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I meet regularly with my employees to discuss our work, and I have one employee who withholds information from me. When my manager asks me about projects in her domain, I usually don’t have all the information, so he calls her. When I ask her why she did not give me all the information in the first place, she says I did not ask for it. How should I deal with her?
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I walked into the office of one of my employees, and she was on the phone. She was talking business on an issue that directly involves me, and I gestured that I wanted to know what she was talking about. She abruptly turned to me and said, “This doesn’t concern you.” She then turned away and continued her conversation, and I walked out. What should I say to her?
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I have two employees that report to me, and they spend a lot of time socializing with each other. I don’t want to be a mean manager, so I have approached them while they are talking and encouraged them to get back to work. However, they soon return to socializing. How can I correct this without being a mean manager?
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